Hair cutter



p 1955 c. E. MALONE 2,716,809

HAIR CUTTER Filed Feb. 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig 2 Carl E. Ma/one INVENTOR.

Ammqs P 6 1955 c. E. MALONE 2,716,809

HAIR CUTTER Filed Feb. 18, 1954 Car/ 5 Malone INVENTOR. I

MW 26 BY mw 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 6, 1955 HAIR CUTTER Carl E. Malone, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., assignor of fifty per cent to Hugh M. Sutton, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Application February 18, 1954, Serial No. 411,085 6 Claims. (Cl. 30-30) This invention relates to hair cutting devices and has for its primary object the provision of an improved form of hair cutter which may be used for the purpose of cutting ones own hair or may be used by an unskilled person in cutting anothers hair.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved form of hair cutter incorporating a housing having a comb member oscillatably mounted therein and with a blade assembly slidably mounted on the comb, the housing having rollers thereon adapted to actuate the comb member and blade assembly as the housing is moved over a persons head such that the combined motion of the comb and blade will effect a progressively shorter cutting action as the cutter is moved from the center of the hair towards the edges thereof.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a hair cutter in conformity with the foregoing objects wherein adjustable positioning means are located on the housing for enabling the user to control the overall shortness of the hair, that is, the adjustment permits the user to control the point in which the cutter reaches its minimum cutting length on the head.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved hair cutter in conformity with the foregoing objects wherein an adjustable guard member on the comb permits the user to control the point at which the blade starts its cutting action.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved form of hair cutter wherein a lost motion connection is provided in the drive to the comb assembly so that a certain portion of the users hair will be cut to a uniform length.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved hair cutter;

Figure 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the assembly;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 33 of Figure 1 showing the cutter at the beginning of its cutting stroke;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the end of the cutting stroke;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially along the plane of section line 55 in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged partial section showing the forward end of the assembly;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the comb member;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the guard; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the blade carrier assembly.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates the housing of the cutter generally which includes the opposed side walls 12 interconnected by the arcuate top portion 14. The housing is open at its bottom and the side walls are provided with forwardly extending nose portions 16 between which the comb assembly, indicated generally by reference character 18 as shown in Figure 7, is oscillatably mounted.

The comb assembly incorporates the spaced side members 20 and 22 interconnected at their rearward ends by the cross piece 24 from the forward edge of which extend the teeth members 26. The opposed surfaces of the side pieces 20 and 22 above the cross piece 24 and the teeth are provided with longitudinal aligned grooves 28 for guiding the blade assembly, to be presently described, slidably thereon. A depending ear 30 is provided medially at the rear edge of the cross piece 24- and a stud member 32 depends from adjacent the front edge and receives a cylindrical knurled nut member 34 thereon in a manner shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 4.

The stud and nut 32 and 34 and the associated washer 36 are provided for the purpose of adjustably positioning the guard member indicated generally by the reference character 38 on the under surface of the comb assembly. The guard assembly as seen in Figure 8, incorporates a transverse bar portion 40 and the rearwardly projecting legs 42 having depending lugs 44 at their free ends' As will be presently apparent, the purpose of this guard assembly is to control the point at which the blade assembly starts its cutting operation, it being noted that upon loosening the nut 34 the guard may be slid to a selected point underlying the comb whereupon the nut is again tightened to maintain the adjustment. The lugs 44 determine the forward extent of the adjustability and engage the washer 36 to prevent the guide from falling off the stud.

The blade assembly consists of a carrier 46 which is provided at opposite sides thereof with the lips 48 adapted to be received within the grooves 28 in the side pieces 20 and 22 of the comb. The carrier may be so constructed as to receive either a single edge of a double edge razor blade, the upstanding pins 50 and transverse groove 52 being provided for this purpose as will be seen most clearly in Figure 3 wherein a single edge blade 54 is shown in place. The stud 56 projects through a spring finger 58 to hold the blade 54 in proper position on the carrier, the nut 60 on the stud providing the proper frictional engagement. The rearward edge of the carrier is provided with a pair of spaced lug members 62, the purpose of which will be presently apparent.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2-4, it will be seen that an axle member 64 is rotatably journaled in the opposed bosses 66 on the inner surfaces of the opposite side walls 12 of the housing. A pair of rollers or wheels 68 are rigidly affixed to this axle and a pinion 70 is also rigidly afiixed thereto medially between the wheels with the spacers 72 positioned on opposite sides of the pinion and abutting the opposed faces of the wheel to maintain the axle wheel assembly in properly located position. An operating crank indicated generally by the reference character '74- is rotatably secured on a shaft 76 journaled by a pair of spaced support members 78 extending forwardly from the rear portion of the top 14. The shaft '76 is spaced from the axle 64 and the crank includes an arcuate lower end portion 80 which extends around below the pinion '70 and has gear teeth 32 formed on its upper surface mating therewith. The upper portion 84 of the crank is straddled by the furcations 86 of a link member 88 and pinned thereto as by the pin member 90, the opposite end of the link being pinned by a member 92 to the lugs 62 on the rear of the carrier previously described. The forward end of the lower portion 80 of the crank carries a pin 94 which is received in an elongated slot 96 in the spaced legs 98 of a second link member 100 whose forward end is also bifurcated and pinned by a member NZ to the car 30 on the comb.

Thus, it will be readily apparent that movement of the hair cutting assembly from a position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4 by rolling thewheels 68 along a surface will operate to simultaneously oscillate the comb in the manner shown and slide the blade assembly along the comb such that the various assemblies will take the position shown in Figure 4 at the end of the stroke. in regard to this, it is to be noted that the forward ends of the side pieces 20 and 22. of the comb assembly are provided with apertures 95 which receive inwardly projecting pins 97 furnished at the extremities of the nose pieces to whereby the comb is constrained to oscillatory movement. The lower limit of motion of the comb is determined by stop members 99 formed on the inner surfaces of the nose pieces adjacent the side walls 12 in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 3. Since the device is to be used on a persons head, the wheels 63 are preferably provided with tread portions 101 of sponge rubber or other suitable material.

To maintain the blade assembly and comb in the position shown in Figure 3 or the starting position, two spring wire assemblies are provided. One of these is indicated by the reference numeral 1.93 and engages against the undersurface of the comb at one end while its opposite end is coiled about a pin member 1G4 carried by the housing with its extremity 1% engaging the undersurface of a stop 1&8 integral with the housing. The other spring member is coiled about the shaft '76 as at 110 and its opposite ends abut the undersurface of one of the members 78 as at 112 and the upper portion 84 of the crank as at 114-.

To utilize the device, it is grasped in the users hand and for this purpose it will be noted that the side walls 12 are provided with the concavities 116 acting as finger grip portions and the device is manipulated by rolling it along the users head in a continuous motion. To prepare the users hair for the cutting operation, it is parted along the center of the head extending from the front to the rear of the route and the hair combed straight down toward the sides. The lower edge of each side wall is provided with an elongated groove 118 through which a pointer sh Nil projects with the opposite ends of the shafts being provided with enlarged pointers 122 and head portions lfi lrespectively. The housing is provided with indicia S (short), M (medium), and L (long), and intermediate graduations such that the pointer heads 122 may be positioned similarly on the opposite side walls. Depending upon the over all length that is required in the cutting operation, the pointers are moved to identical positions on the opposite side walls and are placed directly on the part line of the hair. It will be manifest that this effects a relative positioning between the hair cutter and the part according to the desires of the user in which the point at which the bottom of the stroke of the assembly is reached may be varied.

Since there is a lost motion connection between the operating lever and the comb 18, a portion of the hair at the top of the head will be cut at a uniform length until the end of the lost motion connection is reached at which time the cutting operation is progressively shortcned until the assemblies reach the bottom of the stroke whcrci the comb is in engagement the stop 99. At this point, continued motion of the hair cutter by skidding the wheels thereof will effect a very close shaving operation.

The point at which the assembly begins to cut the hair may be governed by the guard 33. That is, the guard cross-bar 49 is positioned at such point as is desired so that the hair will not begin to be out until the blade 54 has passed the guard cross-bar. Thus, by a manipulation of the two adjustments, the pointers 122 and the guard 33, the desired effect can be had.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A hair cutter comprising a housing, an axle journalled in said housing and having a pair of wheels fixed in spaced relation thereon, a pinion fixed to said axle, a comb member pivotally secured to said housing about an axis extending along the forward edge of its teeth, a blade assembly disposed in overlying relation to and slidably carried on said comb member, and means engaging said pinion and connected to said comb member and said lade assembly for simultaneously imparting a downward swinging motion to said comb member and a forward sliding motion to said blade assembly in response to rotation of said wheels.

2. A hair cutter comprising a housing having a pair of forwardly extending, spaced nose pieces, an axle journalled transversely of said housing and having a pair of wheels fixed at spaced points thereon, a pinion fixed to said axle, a comb member disposed between said nose pieces and having pivotal connection to the free ends thereof about an axis extending along the forward edge of its teeth, a blade assembly disposed in overlying relation to and slidably carried on said comb member, and means engaging said pinion and connected to said comb member and said blade assembly for simultaneously imparting a downward swinging motion to said comb member and a forward sliding motion to said blade assembly in response to rotation of said wheels.

3. A hair cutter comprising a housing, an axle journalled in said housing and having a pair of wheels fixed in spaced relation thereon, a pinion fixed to said axle, a comb member pivotally secured to said housing about an axis extending along the forward edge of its teeth, a blade assembly disposed in overlying relation to and slidably carried on said comb member, and means cngaging said pinion and connected to said comb member and said blade assembly for simultaneously imparting a downward swinging motion to said comb member and a forward sliding motion to said blade assembly in response to rotation of said wheels, and said means including an operating crank pivotally secured to said housing about an axis disposed above said axle, said crank having an arcuate lower end portion extending around beneath said axle provided with gear teeth formed on its upper edge mating with said pinion.

4. A hair cutter comprising a housing, an axle journalled in said housing and having a pair of wheels fixed in spaced relation thereon, a pinion fixed to said axle, a

comb member pivotally secured to said housing about an axis extending along the forward edge of its teeth, a blade assembly disposed in overlying relation to and slidably carried on said comb member, and means engaging said pinion and connected to said comb member and said blade assembly for simultaneously imparting a downward swinging motion to said comb member and a forward sliding motion to said blade assembly in response to rotation of said wheels, said means comprising an operating crank pivotally secured to said housing about an axis disposed above said axle, said crank having an arcuate lower end portion extending around beneath said axle provided with gear teeth formed on its upper edge mating with said pinion, and an upper end portion, a link connected at its opposite ends to said blade assembly and said upper end portion respectively, and a second link extending betwen said lower end portion and said comb member.

5. A hair cutter comprising a housing, an axle journalled in said housing and having a pair of wheels fixed in spaced relation thereon, a pinion fixed to said axle, a comb member pivotally secured to said housing about an axis extending along the forward edge of its teeth, a blade assembly disposed in overlying relation to and slidably carried on said comb member, and means engaging said pinion and connected to said comb member, and said blade assembly for simultaneously imparting a downward swinging motion to said comb member and a forward sliding motion to said blade assembly in response to rotation of said wheels, said means comprising an operating crank pivotally secured to said housing about an axis disposed above said axle, said crank having an arcuate lower end portion extending around beneath said axle provided with gear teeth formed on its upper edge mating with said pinion, and an upper end portion, a link connected at its opposite ends to said blade assembly and said upper end portion respectively, and a second link extending between said lower end portion and said comb member, the securement between the second link and said lower end portion of the crank being effected by a lost motion connection.

6. A hair cutter comprising a housing, an axle journalled in said housing and having a pair of wheels fixed in spaced relation thereon, a comb member pivotally secured to said housing about an axis extending along the forward edge of its teeth, a blade assembly disposed in overlying relation to and slidably carried on said comb member, means connecting said wheels with said comb member and said blade assembly for simultaneously imparting a downward swinging motion to the comb member and a forward sliding motion to said blade assembly in response to rotation of said wheels, and a guard member underlying said comb member and adjustably, slidably disposed thereon.

No references cited. 

